Saving the Wall
by Libazeth
Summary: Simple humor. Chloe searches a way to save the wall of weird from budget cuts. ChloeLex freindship maybe more, a lot of goodhumored bashing of Clark and Lana. 90 percent quippage, 8 percent punctuation, 2 percent plot.
1. Default Chapter

Chloe sighed as she looked over the light table. She had to get together a new paper by Monday and she had no main story. Oh, there were the usual Smallville mishaps but she needed something else. Something a little less... vacuous.  
  
Clark stuck his head in. "Hey, Chloe-what are you doing?"  
  
Chloe looked up at the tall brunette. "I'm just working on the paper. I'm trying to prove to Mr. I'm-The-Principal-So-You-Can-Just-Call-Me-God that I can be a Good Journalist." The capital letters fell into place with the air of someone who'd had years of practice mocking authority.  
  
"You're a great journalist, Chloe!"  
  
Chloe scoffed. "I know! But apparently our school paper is too tabloid for his tastes." She gestured to the far wall. "He even wants me to scrap the wall of weird!"  
  
"Oh... wow... hey, have you seen Lana?"  
  
"She's outside," Chloe sighed, ignoring him again. Of course Clark didn't care, he was just looking for his dream girl.  
  
"Okay!" Clark brightened like a puppy, Chloe observed. "We're going to the Talon to study-"  
  
"Clark," Chloe cut in, "I really need to get to work." Can you go pant elsewhere? she finished mentally. "I need to make sure that the Wall of Weird remains... well... a wall."  
  
"Sure!" Clark replied happily. "I'll see you later." He turned to the doorway to leave, but froze. "Oh... hey, Lex."  
  
Chloe's head shot up. Lex Luther leaned against the doorway, trench coat begging for a breeze to billow in. "Lex," she greeted him blandly.  
  
He nodded to them. "Clark. Chloe." He looked from them. "I wasn't interrupting anything, was I?"  
  
"No," Clark said, sounding confused. Behind him, Chloe made a hang-me gesture, and Lex's smirk grew. "What are you doing here?" Clark continued, oblivious to Chloe's dis.  
  
Lex shrugged. "Lana wasn't at the Talon, so I came to see if she was here. Shop talk, you know."  
  
Clark glared at him, possessive boy. "Lana and I were just heading over to study. We can meet you there in about an hour."  
  
"Sure, whatever," Lex shrugged. "Good luck finding her." He moved aside, gesturing for Clark to leave.  
  
Clark looked from Lex to Chloe, confused, before scurrying out of the room to find Lana.  
  
Chloe laughed, despite herself. "How can I help you, Lex?"  
  
"Well, I have a question." He paused. "Plus, I like confusing Clark." He shrugged. "I'm mean like that."  
  
Chloe fought to hide a smile. "What question?" she asked.  
  
Lex walked up towards her, brushing her shoulder as he approached the wall. "I was wondering where you get your info for this... wall thing."  
  
Chloe smiled knowingly. "Ah, the wall of weird. Interested? Worried, maybe, that someone might be getting annoyed with all the little Smallville quirks?"  
  
Lex eyed the wall. "More worried that you need a less morbid habit."  
  
"Mr. Luther, don't worry your little head with my habits." Chloe turned to eye the wall as well. "It's not like it'll last anyway."  
  
"Really?" Lex asked, mockingly. "You haven't found some little boy to train and continue the tradition that is draining the school's funds for Lana's pink crepe paper?"  
  
Chloe fought to hide a smile. "Something like that. Actually, Principle Grouchy-Pants decided that if I don't get some flesh into this paper he'll scrap the whole thing."  
  
"Can't have that," Lex pointed out. "Anything I can do to help out?"  
  
Chloe glanced at the wall before turning her glinting glare back to him. "Actually..." 


	2. Default Chapter

Authors Note: I'm going away for the weekend, and school starts soon for me, so update'll slow down a bit. The rating is upped because of upcoming Chlex-y goodness. Review!  
  
Chloe looked around. "Look, there's Clark and Lana!" She smiled at them and waved before turning around and heading to sit at the other end of the Talon. Trailing after her, Lex smirked. "Too good to sit with the little people?"  
  
Chloe raised an eyebrow. "We could go sit with them. Watch Clark drool, listen to Lana's most recent café horror."  
  
"No, we can't have that! I don't want to let people see me like this."  
  
Chloe eyed him up and down, a faint smirk tracing her face. "Like what?"  
  
Lex chuckled. "They mustn't see my weakness."  
  
"Weakness?" Chloe began to smile, not knowing where he was going but amused nonetheless.  
  
"Oh, yes," Lex leaned over, gesturing for her to do the same. "They mustn't see that I'm human enough to be affected by your womanly wiles, Ms. Sullivan."  
  
Chloe raised an eyebrow. "I have womanly wiles?"  
  
Lex leaned back comfortably, his eyes roaming over her bohemian tank top and tight, worn jeans. "You'd be surprised, Chloe. How do you think you got me to do this?"  
  
"My wonderful and charismatic journalist abilities." Chloe sat back, absorbing this. The way Lex was looking at her didn't make her feel uncomfortable, only surprised. Trying to keep her mind from doing its usual gutter-dive, she glanced around the café for another topic. "Oh, but wait!" she exclaimed brightly. "Whatever will Clark do?"  
  
"Mm?" Lex sipped his coffee.  
  
"He'll be so heartbroken."  
  
Lex set the cup down. "Not to be rude, darling, but he seems perfectly content with Miss Pretty-in-Pink over there."  
  
Chloe snorted a laugh in surprise. "No!"  
  
"No?"  
  
"That's what I've been calling her since middle school," Chloe explained. "And you shouldn't talk about your business partner that way."  
  
"And you shouldn't be talking about your roommate like that." Lex shrugged. "I won't tell if you won't," he said as he sent her a wickedly charming expression.  
  
Chloe shook her head, trying to keep a straight face. "Anyway, I'm not talking about me. I'm talking about you."  
  
It was Lex's turn to snort. "Me?"  
  
"Oh, yes," Chloe said matter-of-factly. "You're having a torrid love affair."  
  
"Really?" Lex bit his lip in thought. "Why wasn't I informed?"  
  
Chloe shook her head. "Didn't you get the memo? Anyway, it's unimportant whether or not you know about it. We've decided."  
  
"The royal we?"  
  
"Is there any other? Anyway, I have to keep my womanly wiles far, far away from you. Farm-boy will get quite mad at me for stealing away his steely- eyed lover-man."  
  
Lex laughed openly, a deep-throated chortle that attracted Clark's attention. Looking away from Lana, he eyed the couple curiously. Lex waved slightly, still grinning. Chloe turned around, and, seeing Clark's baffled look, began to giggle herself.  
  
Lex leaned over. "Oh-uh!" he stage whispered. "I think he's onto us!"  
  
"Quick!" Chloe added, playing along. "He'll fry us with his angry glare!"  
  
Lex grabbed her arm, getting into it. "Come, my love, leave with me for Canada, where we'll be safe from him!"  
  
They laughed harder. Trying to get a hold of herself, Chloe took a sip of her mocha. "Is he still watching?"  
  
Lex made a show of peeking around her. "No, he's conspiring with Lana now. He looks really, really confused... but who can tell? It's not much more than normal."  
  
Chloe glared at him. "Hey! Be nice!"  
  
"I'm not nice, Chloe," Lex reminded her. "I'm a Luthor."  
  
Chloe rolled her eyes. "Oh, I'm so frightened. Really." She shook her head. "I've got to break something to you, Lex."  
  
Lex gestured for her to continue. Chloe settled back into the plush armchair. "I don't think you're nearly as bad-ass as you pretend to be."  
  
Lex opened his mouth to argue, but Chloe held up one finger and sent him a scolding glance. "I'm not done. You've surprised the hell out of me during this non-interview. I think, in fact, that you're human."  
  
Lex sighed. "I can live with that. As long as you don't go around telling people, you know." He leaned forward, resting his chin on his fist. "Off the record, I've got an even bigger secret."  
  
The reporter in Chloe got the better of her. She raised an eyebrow, setting down her pen. "Do tell."  
  
"On good days, I even have a soul."  
  
Chloe giggled. "Oh, yes. The Lex Luthor and Clark Kent brigade, two mysterious men joined together to save puppies!"  
  
"I wouldn't go that far." He stood up. "Old ladies, maybe. The occasional priceless jewel, that type of thing."  
  
Chloe stood up as well. "Yeah, yeah."  
  
"Well, I've got to go. Nice being non-interviewed by you." Lex stuck out a hand.  
  
"Meeting with Daddy dearest?" Chloe asked, taking his hand and shaking it.  
  
Lex smirked. "Where do you find this stuff out, Chloe?"  
  
She smiled. "Wouldn't you like to know."  
  
Review! Should I continue this? Is it any good? If I don't get reviews, I don't feel inspired to continue plots. . . tell me what you think of it! Also, a new title would kick butt if anyone has suggestions. 


End file.
